1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to communication apparatuses and, more particularly, to a communication apparatus which is capable of discriminating a remote communication apparatus from which a call is received.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with popularization of facsimile apparatuses, they are used in a variety of fields and at home. A conventional facsimile apparatus, when receiving an incoming call, receives facsimile data (image data) in response to the incoming call regardless of a sending party, and outputs the received facsimile data on a record paper. At the time of reception of an incoming call, the conventional facsimile apparatus may have a function to increase a sound level of a ringing tone, a function to turn on/off the output of the call signal or adjust the sound level of the ringing tone. Accordingly, if needed, a user of the facsimile apparatus can turn on/off the ringing tone, or set the ringing tone to a small sound level at which the ringing tone is not noisy.
Additionally, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-252220 discloses a telephone terminal apparatus that is capable of changing the ringing tone of an incoming call or sending a message to refuse a response to an incoming call.
Thus, in the conventional facsimile apparatus and the telephone terminal disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-252220, a ringing tone of an incoming call can be turned on or off, or a level of the ringing tone can be changed.
However, with the conventional facsimile apparatus, receiving operations for all calls from remote terminals are fixed. For this reason, an incoming call from a specific party (specific terminal) is undistinguishable from incoming calls from other parties (other terminals). Therefore, there is a demand to improve the receiving operations so as to improve convenience of facsimile apparatuses.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus which can notify a user of the fact that data being received is sent from a specific party.
In an aspect of the present invention, a facsimile apparatus is provided comprising facsimile communication means for receiving image data and party information from a remote apparatus according to a facsimile communication protocol, the party information identifying the remote apparatus, melody storing means for storing at least one call-notification-melody, reproducing means for reproducing the call-notification-melody stored in the melody storing means and outputting the call-notification-melody reproduced through a speaker, specific party information storing means for storing specific party information regarding at least one specific party for which the call-notification-melody is output, and control means, when the party information which the facsimile communication means acquired matches the specific party information stored in the specific party information storing means at a time of reception of a call, for causing the reproducing means to reproduce and output the call-notification-melody stored in the melody storing means.
Accordingly, even when the facsimile apparatus does not join a number display system, a user can recognize a party who is sending facsimile data (image data) prior to reviewing the contents of the facsimile data. Thus, the user can positively obtain at his/her hand materials sent from a specific party of urgency, which improves convenience of the facsimile apparatus.
In the facsimile apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the melody storing means may store a plurality of call-notification melodies, the specific party information storing means may store the party information regarding a plurality of specific parties and the call-notification-melody information which indicates one of the plurality of call-notification-melodies stored in the melody storing means, and when the party information which the facsimile communication means acquired matches the specific party information stored in the specific party information storing means, the control means may cause the reproducing means to reproduce the call-notification-melody corresponding to the party information acquired by the facsimile communication means.
According to the present invention, even when the facsimile apparatus does not join a number display system, a user can recognize a party who is sending facsimile data (image data) prior to reviewing the contents of the facsimile data. Thus, the user can positively obtain at his/her hand materials sent from a specific party of urgency, which improves convenience of the facsimile apparatus 1.
In the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention, the melody storing means may store a plurality of call-notification-melodies; the specific party information storing means may store the party information regarding a plurality of specific parties and the call-notification-melody information which indicates one of the plurality of call-notification-melodies stored in the melody storing means; and when the party information which the facsimile communication means acquired matches the specific party information stored in the specific party information storing means, the control means may cause the reproducing means to reproduce the call-notification-melody corresponding to the party information acquired by the facsimile communication means.
Accordingly, when a user is remote from the facsimile apparatus or a plurality of users share the facsimile apparatus, each user can positively determine one of the specific partners from a difference in the call-notification-melodies. Thus, each user can immediately obtain necessary information, which achieves a smooth communication of information and further improves the convenience of facsimile apparatus.
Additionally, the facsimile apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further comprise light-emitting means for emitting a light in a plurality of colors, and illumination control means for controlling the color and light-emitting timing of the light-emitting means by storing light-emitting patterns indicating the color and light-emitting timing of the light-emitting means, wherein the specific party information storing means stores the specific party information regarding a plurality of specific parties and illumination information indicating one of the light emitting patterns stored in the illumination control means, and when the party information which the facsimile communication means acquired matches the specific party information stored in the specific party information storing means, the control means causes the illumination control means to turn on the light-emitting means according to the light-emitting pattern indicated by the illumination information corresponding to the party information acquired by the facsimile communication means.
Accordingly, even in a case where it is difficult to hear the melody sound due to office noise and the like, the reception of a call from a specific party can be easily recognized visually. Accordingly, there is less possibility of a problem in that a user mistakenly brings materials for other users, which improves the convenience of the facsimile apparatus.
Further, the facsimile apparatus according to an exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further comprise volume adjusting means for adjusting an output volume of the call-notification-melody by the reproducing means, and volume time storing means for storing the output volume of the call-notification-melody for each time zone, wherein the control means causes the volume adjusting means to adjust the output volume of the call-notification-melody output by the reproducing means to the output volume specified for each time zone.
Accordingly, the output of the melody may be prohibited at midnight where it is quiet, and a user can recognize reception of a call from a specific party by luminescence of the light-emitting means such as a light-emitting diode. Thus, the user can positively identify the sending party, which further improves the convenience of the facsimile apparatus.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a facsimile apparatus may comprise a communication control part which receives facsimile data and party information from a remote facsimile apparatus according to a facsimile communication protocol, the party information identifying the remote facsimile apparatus, a melody output part which stores at least one call-notification-melody and reproduces the call-notification-melody so as to output the reproduced call-notification-melody through a speaker, a specific party discrimination part which stores specific party information regarding at least one specific party for which the call-notification-melody is output, and a system control part which cases the melody output part to reproduce and output the call-notification-melody stored when the party information which the communication control part acquired matches the specific parry information stored in the specific party discrimination part at a time of reception of a call.
In the embodiment, the melody output part may store a plurality of kinds of call-notification-melodies; and the specific party discrimination part may store the party information regarding a plurality of specific parties and call-notification-melody information which indicates one of the plurality of call-notification-melodies stored in the melody output part, and wherein, when the party information which the communication control part acquired matches the party information stored in the specific party discrimination part, the system control part may cause the melody output part to reproduce the call-notification-melody corresponding to the party information received by the communication control part.
Additionally, the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment may further comprise an LED control part which stores information regarding a plurality of light-emitting patterns of a lighting color and light-emitting timing of a light-emitting element which emits a light in a plurality of colors so as to control the lighting color and the light-emitting timing of the light-emitting element, and wherein the specific party discrimination part stores the party information regarding a plurality of specific parties and illumination information which indicates one of the light-emitting patterns stored in the LED control part, the party information being related to the illumination information, wherein, when the party information which the communication control part acquired is stored in the specific party discrimination part, the LED control part causes the light-emitting element to emit a light according to one of the light-emitting patterns corresponding to the party information acquired by the communication control part.
Further, the facsimile apparatus according to the embodiment may further comprise a silent-call-reception control part which adjusts, at a timing of outputting the call-notification-melody, the output volume level of the melody output part to an output volume level corresponding to a time zone of the call-notification-melody output from among time zones stored in the silent-call-reception control part.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.